


Shine

by aythia



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Inspired by a Movie, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-08
Updated: 2012-07-08
Packaged: 2017-11-09 10:37:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/454534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aythia/pseuds/aythia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Polaris has spent his whole life being fascinated by the human race. When a spell rips him from the sky and throws him into a world where his life and his heart are in danger everywhere he goes, the beautiful star is forced to rely on a young farm boy to help him get home, wherever that may be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shine

**Author's Note:**

> Masterpost can be found here: http://aythia.livejournal.com/152313.html
> 
> This was inspired by the movie Stardust

  


  


_There are good people in the world. And then there are those who are not so good. There are those who start out good and slowly fall, and then there are those who are just bad, even from the start._

In a faraway cottage, nestled deep amongst high mountains and vast forests, three forms were huddled around a big cauldron. Their presence just screamed 'bad,' but no one was looking their way. Not even the stars above.

Had the stars known what the three witches were planning, they would have watched; they would have screamed their protest, but they didn’t know, and they weren’t watching, so no one saw the three begin a complex spell to steal a star from the sky. No one saw the unspeakable things they dropped into the cauldron or heard the words they mumbled over the simmering brew. 

The witches worked for hours and hours, adding a drop of blood here, a bat's eye there, all the while murmuring incantations that would have made the stars themselves turn pale. They worked on, determined to reach their goal, and as they neared the end, they turned their eyes towards the sky, searching for the perfect star, one that shone extra bright.

Because the witches knew: The heart of a brightly glowing star, a pure thing from Heaven above, would return them their youth, and give them centuries more to live, no matter what the consequences.

~*~

The sky was a calm place. Nothing to disturb and nothing to distract. Sure, sometimes his brothers and sisters teased him about his fascination with the human world below, but it was his job to shine down on them. He couldn't be blamed for watching them while he did so.

He could remember the first time he had opened his eyes, blinded by his own glow; it had been days before he had been able to clearly see the world that stretched out below him, but even blinded, he had felt them. The human world was a sea of emotions, waves crashing, meeting, mixing in an ever-changing way. Sometimes, he thought he had fallen in love with the humans before he could see them, when all he had was his own glow and their emotions. His brothers and sisters could tease him about his fascination, but he kept on gazing down.

Besides, his love for the humans didn't matter. They might look up at him, but it wasn’t in the same way that the young star looked down upon them.

That is, until three witches singled him out as the most beautiful star and tore him from the sky.

  


Jared sighed and dropped a bale of hay in front of one of the horses, cursing the late hour. Of course she would have run away, and of course he would be the one put in charge of finding her.

"You're nothing but trouble to me," he said, stroking the beautiful mare’s soft muzzle.

She didn't answer—not that Jared expected her to; she only had eyes for the hay. Jared tore an armful from the bale and put it in her feed bin before he moved on to make sure all the other horses had food and water. He tried not to think of how his stepfather would demand that he be up in the morning; tried to ignore the fact that, despite being the last one to bed, he was expected to be the first one to rise.

"You know," he said, leaning against the wall next to her stall and gazing up at the sky, "I really wish something would happen to take me away from here. I can't be meant to be a stable boy forever."

The horse huffed out a puff of air that Jared chose to hear as agreement.

"Is a little adventure too much to ask for?" he went on. "I mean, I just wish that..."

He was stunned into silence when the brightest shooting star he had ever seen lit up the sky, blinding white and coming closer and closer. Jared could only watch with his mouth hanging open as it lit up the treetops on the far side of the meadow surrounding the farm. The falling star dropped lower and Jared expected the noise to be overwhelming when it touched ground, but it only disappeared behind the trees; with one last flash of light, the ground trembled under his feet and the night went black again.

"Did you _see_ that?" Jared turned to face the horse, who was clearly unimpressed with the display. "A star,” he went on. “Can you imagine what a fallen star would look like? I wonder if it's pretty, like a shiny rock or something."

Jared didn’t hesitate to grab the storm lamp from its peg outside the stable; with a cursory glance at the dark house, he darted across the field and climbed the fence to the meadow. The woods were so dark that despite the muted glimmer from the lantern, he almost tripped over his own feet, and he had to take a moment for his eyes to adjust before he could make out where he was going; at first, he was unsure that he was headed in the right direction, but to his surprise, he noticed another dim light ahead.

Jared didn't know what he had expected to find, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met him when he broke through the trees into a small clearing. There was no big crater, no fallen trees, and most notably of all, no celestial rock.

What he did find was a big circle of burnt grass and a boy.

Jared was frozen to the spot, staring at the figure on the ground with his mouth gaping and his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The boy was _glowing_. It was faint, but when Jared dared to venture closer, he saw that the glow pulsed in rhythm with the boy’s steady breathing, making the silvery clothing he was dressed in shimmer in the darkness.

"You're the star?" Jared breathed into the dark night, not even noticing when the storm lamp fell from his hand and hit the ground with a low thud before going out. " _You're_ the star!"

The boy on the ground gasped in a deep breath and opened his eyes, his bright green gaze meeting Jared's eyes for just a second before the glow disappeared and he became nothing more than a dark shadow. Jared heard his breathing change from deep and even to shallow and ragged.

"What... Where...?"

The boy’s voice was low and scared and it triggered something in Jared, a bone-deep need to calm and protect; before he could think, he had fallen to his knees. Despite the darkness, he managed to find one of the boy’s hands and take it between his own.

"Shh, don't be scared," Jared said in a gentle tone he usually reserved for the animals.

"It's...so dark,” the boy mumbled. “No stars.”

Jared looked up towards the sky where heavy clouds hid the moon and stars from sight. He tried to find something comforting to say.

"It's just cloudy. That happens sometimes, you know."

"No," the boy said, his voice going up a notch. "Not where I'm from! We're above the clouds. There are always stars. I can't see the stars! And they can't see me."

Jared was sure the boy was on the verge of having a panic attack; he pulled him off the charred ground and wrapped his arms around his slender waist, holding his body close to his own and feeling his body heat begin to warm the boy. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, but he felt the smaller boy slowly relax and his breathing return to normal; it made Jared sad that the glow didn't return as well. He fumbled for the storm lamp only to curse under his breath when he realized that he had no way to light it again, his flint and tinder still in the pouch he had left outside of the stable. 

"Are you...are you okay?" he asked into the dark.

"I'm... No," the boy said. "I want to go home."

"Yeah," Jared said softly. "Yeah, I understand. C'mon, let’s get you out of the woods and I'm sure we’ll figure something out."

He received muffled muttering in response, but when Jared stood up, the boy started to stand beside him, only to whimper and almost topple over.

"I think I hurt my leg when I fell."

Jared looked up towards the overcast sky, amazed that only the boy’s leg had been hurt after his spectacular fall but choosing not to say anything. Instead, he picked up the storm lamp and grabbed the boy’s hand to lead him back to the small farmstead, slowing his pace when the boy begin to limp. 

"Do you have a name?" he asked when they had broken free of the trees and come out into the meadow surrounding the farm. "I mean, I don't know if... Does your kind have...? I'm Jared."

The boy made a small sound, something between a sob and a laugh.

"I’ve got a few,” he said. “I think you people call me Polaris, the North Star."

Jared gasped and spun around, facing the boy. The darkness rendered him little more than the vaguest outline, but Jared felt better facing him, even if he couldn't see him, when they spoke.

"You're the North Star? That's... Wow..."

"Yeah," the boy said, and Jared thought he saw him shrugging.

"That's... Heh, guess a lot of people are gonna get lost before we get you back up there, then," he said before he could stop himself.

To his relief, the boy laughed, a wonderful sound that made Jared think of sparkling streams and silver bells; he couldn't hold back his own smile, even though he knew that the boy couldn't see it. 

"Oh, you’ve got dimples," the boy said suddenly. 

"How can you see them? It's so dark!" Jared blurted out, making the boy laugh again.

"I'm a star,” he said. “The night is my time, of course I can see." Jared's smile fell at the sadness in the boy’s voice. 

"Right," Jared said, tugging at the boy’s arm. "Let's move on, see if we can't get you home, Pola...uh... Northern...um..."

"Jensen."

"What?" 

"It's my name. It's what my brothers and sisters call me."

Jensen. The name was...different, and it fit the star perfectly. Jared’s smile slowly returned, and he imagined that Jensen was smiling right back at him.

  


His mind was still reeling from the fact that he had fallen. It was too big a thing to make sense of and with every step he took, he felt the wrongness of the world he had landed on. Centuries spent looking down hadn't prepared him to actually walk on Earth. The ground was hard under his bare feet, pine needles hurting his soft soles, and several times, he bit back disgruntled sounds as he limped after Jared through the forest and out into a big meadow.

The grass was a relief for his feet, but the night’s dew made a shiver run down his spine. Jensen had never been cold before and it wasn't something he liked, not even a little.

The human world looked very different when viewed from above, but looking up at the clouded sky and being unable to see his brothers and sisters, Jensen had never felt so scared and lonely. He tightened his grip on Jared's hand, unwilling to let go of the tall boy.

"Do you know how..." Jared started as they crossed the field and closed in on a stone fence separating the field from the actual farm. "I mean, how do you get back up there?"

When they reached the fence, Jared let go of Jensen's hand and, to Jensen's surprise, turned around and placed his big hands on Jensen's hips, lifting him off the ground and onto the low stone fence without letting go until Jensen had found his balance on the slippery rocks.

"I can only think of one thing," Jensen said. He waited while Jared climbed the fence and jumped down on the other side. "The fastest way to travel is by candlelight; a Babylon candle would get me back home."

"And just where do you get a bubbling candle?" Jared asked as his hands returned to Jensen's hips, carefully lifting him down to the ground.

"A Babylon candle," Jensen corrected, gingerly putting weight on his injured leg and wincing.

"That's what I said," Jared muttered, taking Jensen's hand again and leading him towards the houses scattered in front of them.

"You said...never mind," Jensen said; he really didn't want to annoy the only person around. "I don't know how to get one... I...damn..."

He stopped in his tracks, tears burning his eyes; he gripped Jared's hand even tighter at the fear of not being able to return home.

"The queen might have one," Jared said softly. "Or know where to get one. Everyone says she's the kindest, most powerful sorceress there is."

"Oh," Jensen said. He tried to think of what he had seen from above. "She would be in Stormkeep, then."

He remembered the beautiful white city in the middle of Stormhold, all the long nights he had spent gazing down at the people of the capital, smiling down at them, but then he looked around the dark field surrounding them and at the small farm ahead.

"Jared," he said quietly. "How far away from Stormkeep are we?"

Jared coughed a little and dragged Jensen forward, his hand warm around Jensen's much smaller one. It was a full minute before he answered.

"Pretty much as far away as possible," he admitted.

~*~

"I can't thank you enough," Jensen said when Jared handed over a small satchel filled with food the human boy had taken from the kitchen, being careful not to wake anyone up.

"It's...nothing," Jared said, but Jensen saw a small blush stain his cheeks.

Jensen thought about trying to explain to Jared how much it meant to him, how lost he felt so far away from home, but instead he clutched the satchel tight and looked down the dirt road that Jared said would eventually take him to Stormkeep.

"I’ll look forward to seeing you again," Jared said. Jensen looked at him in surprise. "Up there, I mean. When I see the North Star again, I’ll know you made it home."

Jensen turned his gaze towards the sky, wishing he could see the spot up there that he knew belonged to him. He looked around the small, dark farm again, unable to stop himself from jumping slightly when Jared came up behind him and draped a warm cape over his shoulders.

"So that you don't freeze," he said softly. "And these might be big, but...please take them..."

With a smile, Jensen accepted the soft leather boots and sat down to slide them onto his bare feet, moaning quietly at their warmth.

"Thank you," he said with a small smile.

The tall boy helped him up and they stood face-to-face for a moment before Jensen took a small step backwards, ready to turn around and start his long journey to the city. Jared reached out and stopped him, wrapping his long arms around Jensen's waist and holding him still. Jensen bit down hard on his lower lip and put one arm around Jared's shoulders, pressing into his first real hug.

When Jared let go of him, Jensen stepped back and gave the tall boy another smile before he took a deep breath and started his journey down the road. Even though he was sure that Jared wouldn't be able see him for long, the dark night swallowing him up, he still thought he could feel the boy’s gaze on his back with every step he took.

  


The shadows moved through the dark woods until they found the spot they had been looking for, but the place was empty.

"Where is it?" a female voice rang out into the night, anger lacing every word.

"It can't have gotten far; we’ll find it," another answered.

The third figure didn't speak but leaned down and touched the charred circle in the grass before standing up and walking into the trees again, the other two following closely behind. 

"We need to find it," the first said.

The three witches stopped when they emerged from the woods to find a small farm nestled amongst the apple trees. Sharing a quick glance, they were moving again, black cloaks billowing out behind them as they made their way over stone fences and dewy grass.

"No one is awake," the first witch said, peering in through a window. "It isn't here."

"We need to find it," the second witch said. "We need to find it and see if it's still glowing. It needs to glow."

The third witch straightened her back and reached into the folds of her cloak to retrieve a long, sinister-looking dagger, testing its sharpness against the pad of her thumb before she turned to the other two. 

"We will find it, and if it doesn't glow? Well, then we'll simply make it content once more. Make it trust us until it _is_ glowing. And then we'll cut its heart straight out."

 

Jared pressed his back against the wall, hoping the three women on the other side wouldn’t notice him; he clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from whimpering, forcing himself to stay still until he could hear them move away, and even then, he waited for several agonizingly long minutes to make sure they were really gone before he peeked out the window into the abandoned yard. Sure that he was alone, he moved quickly, pulling his boots back on and fastening his thick cloak around the shoulders. He took a minute to dart into the kitchen and throw some food into a satchel, but then he was running towards the stable.

"Hey girl, please, be quiet," he said, reaching out for the horse he'd been searching for earlier that same night. "We need to get to Jensen; can you be quiet for me so that no one wakes up?"

The horse stood patiently, waiting while Jared opened the heavy door and led her outside. Looking back towards the still-sleeping farm, he climbed up on her snow-white back and trotted her away from the farm, keeping their pace moderate until he was sure the sound of hooves against the hard-packed ground wouldn't wake his stepfather. As soon as they were out of hearing range, he leaned forward and edged the horse on.

"Please, please, please, Artura, run faster," Jared pleaded.

He only had one thought in his mind and that was to get to Jensen before the three sinister figures found him. He couldn't let anything happen to Jensen. The only sound in the night was that of hooves hammering down as Artura raced down the road; Jared tried to understand how Jensen could have gotten so far, scared that he would somehow miss the boy or that he was too late. It wasn't until he saw a small figure on the road in front of him that he felt some of the tension leave him; Jensen turned around when he heard the horse approaching. The first light of morning was climbing above the horizon and Jared's breath caught in his chest at the beauty of the boy looking up at him with a bright smile. For a second, Jared thought he saw a pulsating glow, but it was gone so fast that Jared was sure he must have been mistaken.

"Jared? What are you doing here?" Jensen asked when Jared reined Artura in just next to him, a cloud of dust making them both cough. 

"We don't have time, get on," Jared said, tossing a glance over his shoulder.

"What?" Jensen looked at the hand Jared held down to him.

"Jensen, _please_ , get on!" Jared begged, his voice sounding panicked even to his own ears. 

To his surprise, the boy only nodded and reached up to grab Jared's hand. Jared pulled him up in front of himself on the horse’s back and wrapped an arm around his waist, digging his heels into Artura's sides; they were speeding down the road again.

"Jared, what..."

Jensen's words were interrupted by a loud shriek behind them as something flashed green in the early dawn light. Jared felt Jensen tense in the circle of his arm and he tried to get the horse to run faster; anything to get them further away from the danger he knew lay behind them.

"What was that?" Jensen asked quietly.

"I think...witches," Jared answered, casting a quick glance back. 

Jensen whimpered and pressed closer to Jared, who tightened his grip around Jensen's waist in an attempt to comfort him. 

"No, no, no," Jensen mumbled. He turned to bury his face against Jared's arm. "I know what they do... I've seen it, and...by the Moon, that's why I fell! They...they..."

Jared was surprised it hadn't happened earlier; the fall must have been terrifying for the young star. He had been lucky to get away with only a leg injury, and Jared had honestly expected tears when the reality caught up with him. Apparently it had just taken a little longer than he’d thought it would—he felt the fabric of his long-sleeved tunic dampen, and the body pressed close to his was shaking. 

"I got you," Jared said against Jensen's hair. "I won't let them hurt you."

He knew he was making a promise that he might not be able to keep, but he didn't care. The star had come into his life not even three hours earlier, but it didn't matter; Jared knew there was no way he could leave the green-eyed boy to manage alone. Jared needed to help him, and he would do all he could to keep him safe from those who sought to hurt him.

~*~

Jared didn't know how much time had passed, or how much distance they had put between themselves and the witches, but Artura was exhausted and he didn't dare push her further, so he slowed down to a trot and then a walk. The boy in his arms was quiet, but at least he wasn't shaking anymore, and when they stopped, Jensen stirred and managed to slide off the horse. He swayed for a moment before he balanced himself with one hand on Artura's side as Jared landed beside him.

"We can't stay here, we're too out in the open," Jared said. He led Jensen and the horse into the thick woods surrounding them, happy that they didn't come upon a clearing; the thickness of the trees would provide them coverage.

"Are... Is this safe?" Jensen asked. Despite the darkness, Jared could feel Jensen's eyes on him. 

"I don't think we can get much safer right now," Jared said. "Artura needs rest, and so do you and I."

The star nodded, but Jared felt him shiver; he reached over to retrieve the satchel filled with food and water and some extra blankets he had draped over Artura's back before heading out. They smelled powerfully of horse, but they were warm, and that was just what the two boys needed. Jensen had slid to the ground, his back against a big tree, and Jared walked over to sit beside him, handing over one of the blankets before he pulled out a water-pouch and some dried meat that Jensen only stared at in confusion.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jared asked.

The star looked at him and then down at the food in Jared's hands, raising one eyebrow slightly as he reached out and took it. 

"I...eat this?" the boy asked, turning the meat over in his hands. "Why would I want to put this in my mouth?"

"Because I think you..." Jared waved a hand towards Jensen's body, "are human enough to need food."

The star still looked doubtful, but he lifted the strip to his lips, nibbled at it, and wrinkled his nose.

"Isn't there anything better to eat?" he asked.

Jared ground his teeth together and counted to ten, willing himself to not snap at the already scared star, and his annoyance dulled when Jensen wrinkled his nose again; the green-eyed boy was pouting adorably.

"Of course there is, but it's kind of hard to pack a gourmet meal in a satchel. Even more so when I’m in a hurry to save a damn star," Jared pointed out between clenched teeth.

Jensen at least had the dignity to look ashamed and he chewed on the meat without another word. Jared reached back into the satchel and handed Jensen a small piece of flatbread that the boy accepted with a grateful little smile. 

"That's all I can offer by way of dinner," Jared said. "Once you're not being hunted anymore, we might get some decent food, before you...uh...fly back up."

The words made something deep inside Jared ache for a second, but he didn't know why; he focused on his own meat and bread, wishing he could have brought some of his step-mom's apple pie. He was sure Jensen would have liked that.

"I'll guess I'll start working on not being hunted, then," the star said, tipping his head back to look up at the sky through the canopy of leaves above them with a wistful expression on his face.

Silence stretched out between them, but it was strangely comfortable and Jensen's fear seemed to have eased. Jared packed the satchel back up and hung it from a low branch to make sure no animals would get at it; they settled in, side by side on the ground under the tree, blankets shielding them from the chilly night air and Artura grazing a few steps away. Jared thought the other boy had fallen asleep until his whisper broke the silence:

"Thank you. You didn't have to come after me...so thank you."

  


"Couldn't the bloody thing at least have fallen close to civilization?"

The grumble was quiet, but in the still of the night, Sadon heard it clearly; he turned to his partner with a glare. It wasn't the first time the dirty, mousy man had muttered those words as their horses took them further north in search of their prize.

"Will you stop the whining, Borin? We should be _happy_ it didn't land close to anything. This way, we might have a chance to get it before someone else does."

The smaller man kept silent, but it was a strained silence, and Sadon thought about the spot in the forest they had just left. The star was already gone—that had been a drawback, but he was still sure they would be able to find it. It had fallen in such a remote place, and there was really only one big road to use. He was sure the star would be heading to the centre of Stormhold; it was the only logical place to go if it ever wanted to find a way to return to the skies.

It was Sadon's job to make sure the star never made it back. The thing was worth several times its weight in gold, after all, and Sadon wanted it; he would be able to live well on the money the star's heart would afford him. Early morning sunshine was coloring the sky pink and blue, but Sadon didn't have eyes for it; all his thoughts were focused on the star.

Sadon had no doubts about what had caused the star to fall, and he could only hope the witches hadn't gotten to it yet. But if they had? It was only a few more obstacles in his way. The star would be his, and if the witches killed it first? Well, he would never allow that. He would kill them and take the heart for himself.

  


Jensen woke up to his pillow moving. He had never slept on a pillow before, but he was fairly sure they weren’t supposed to move; still, sleep pulled at him, insisting that he ignore the motion.

"Jensen, wake up."

It took a few long moments for Jensen to put a name to the voice speaking to him—it sounded nothing like his brothers and sisters—but then he remembered the terrifying fall and the boy who had most likely saved his life. He blinked his eyes and then closed them quickly when sunshine blinded him.

"Go away, it's daytime," Jensen muttered as he snuggled back into the pillow, one hand clenched in soft fabric.

"Exactly; it's late, we need to get moving again. Jensen!"

The pillow moved again; Jensen suddenly remembered that they had fallen asleep under a tree in the forest and that there shouldn't be a pillow there to begin with. With a low whine, he blinked his eyes open again; it took a few seconds for the world to swim into focus before he realized that his pillow was Jared's chest, and the fabric he was clutching was Jared's tunic. Jensen's hand rested against the taller boy's stomach and his head was tucked under Jared's chin.

"Oh," Jensen mumbled.

Jared shifted again and another whine left Jensen before he could stop it.

"C'mon," Jared said as he tried to push them into a sitting position. "We can't sleep the day away; we’re still a few days away from Stormkeep."

"But it's daytime," Jensen repeated. "I need to sleep."

"What? During the day?" Jared pushed at Jensen again. 

Jensen pulled away from the warmth of Jared's body and leaned back against the tree. The other boy looked at him in confusion and something else that Jensen couldn't put a name to.

"Obviously," Jensen muttered drowsily. "I'm a star, we don't sleep at night. That's when we’ve got better things to do."

"Like what?" Jared asked.

"Coming out, shining, that sort of thing," Jensen said around a yawn.

"You're not in the sky anymore," Jared pointed out. "And if you want to get back there, we need to travel. During the day."

Jensen glared at him and refused to leave his spot under the tree, but every time he was about to go back to sleep, Jared prodded him until Jensen realized it was no good and figured that he might as well give in. Maybe he could sleep once they were on the horse.

~*~

Any hopes Jensen had of sleeping on the horse were killed as soon as Jared helped him up onto Artura’s back. His body clearly wasn't used to spending hours upon hours on a horse; he swayed a bit in an attempt to find a somewhat comfortable spot. Jared's arm snaked around his waist, palm resting lightly on Jensen's belly, but the grip wasn't as tight as it had been the day before, and when Jared put his heels into Artura’s sides, Jensen felt himself sliding; without thinking, he pushed back against Jared.

"Sorry," Jared said, his grip on Jensen tightening.

"I'm okay," Jensen mumbled. Jared’s body was radiating heat against his back and Jensen snuggled closer.

He heard Jared's breath hitch slightly but didn't think much of it; they rode on in silence. If not for his body aching from the day before, Jensen was pretty sure he would have been able to fall asleep in Jared's embrace. Being awake during the day, it was unnatural!

The sun was high in the sky by the time the forest gave way to open fields; Jensen looked up at the bright blue sky and the clear colors of the world around him. It was nothing like the dark nights he was used to and despite his fear and aches, a small part of him was happy that he was getting to see the human world like this; it would be a memory to cherish once he was back in his spot in the skies.

"What are you thinking about?" Jared asked.

"This. Your world," Jensen answered. "It looks so different from down here. So different in the sunlight."

"Oh," Jared said. Jensen wondered if he was aware that his fingers were painting patterns against Jensen's belly. 

Touch wasn't something that Jensen had done before. He had only felt light from his brothers and sisters in the past, and he thought that he might already be addicted to the feel of Jared's fingers, the warmth of his body; he knew he would miss it, would miss the way each touch seemed to light sparks under his skin. If this was what touching felt like, he couldn't understand why humans didn't touch all the time. Jensen's eyes slid shut when they drifted back into silence, and even though he couldn't sleep, the feel of Jared pressed close to him and the rhythmic sound of Artura's hooves against the ground were calming enough for him to relax despite his soreness.

"Isn't it boring, to watch our world during the night?" Jared asked, pulling Jensen out of his half-slumber.

"Oh, no, never," Jensen said, smiling softly. "It's what we do; we shine over you, and we watch. And no matter the time, there's always _something_ to watch. I...I don't always understand it all, but it's still fascinating."

"Fascinating," Jared mumbled as his fingers went still against Jensen's belly. "I'm wondering one thing, though."

"Yes?" Jensen asked, leaning his head against Jared's shoulder.

He felt Jared shift behind him and heard the boy swallow before he went on.

"Of all the places...why did you fall where you did? In the middle of nowhere?"

Jensen thought about the strange pull that had torn him from the skies, about the rush of air around him as he’d plummeted to the ground, and shivered at the memory. Jared's hand on his belly starting moving again, rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of Jensen's soft tunic.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone," Jensen said. "So I tried to land somewhere remote. I was actually aiming for the field."

"Your aim was a bit off, then," Jared commented dryly. 

"Oh really? I didn't notice because of all the trees," Jensen huffed. "It's not like it's easy to aim when you're plummeting towards the ground. See if you can do better!"

Jared burst out laughing; the rumbling in his chest combined with his warm breath against Jensen's head sent a wave of sensation through him and Jensen found himself smiling and laughing as well. He really liked laughing—it felt almost as good as touching. They didn't fall back into silence; instead, Jared talked about life on the farm and the family he had left there, and Jensen found out that the boy didn't live with his parents.

"Emeline was my mother's cousin," Jared explained. "My parents died when I was young, and I’ve lived with Emeline and her husband for as long as I can remember. They’re decent and all, but they don't feel like parents. Just...relatives. I've always wanted something else, you know, like an adventure."

"And you got me," Jensen said with a snort. 

"Yeah," Jared said, coughing a little.

Jensen tried to shift around enough to look at Jared, but the motion almost made him fall off the horse, Jared's arm around him the only thing saving him from hitting the ground. Jensen was grateful for it; it wouldn't be a big fall compared to plummeting down to Earth, but he was hurting enough without adding more bruises. 

"At least this’ll be an interesting adventure to tell my children about," Jared said with a somewhat strained tone to his voice that Jensen didn't understand. "Anyway, I think we should stop and eat some."

"More dried meat?" Jensen asked, happy that Jared couldn't see the way his nose scrunched up at the thought.

"Actually no," Jared said as he steered Artura off the main road and over to a huge, sprawling shrubbery surrounding a small stream. "These are blackberries; I think you might like them. Try to not get too torn up on the barbs, though."

Jared got off the horse first; with a firm grip on Jensen's waist, he helped him down, holding him until he was sure Jensen's hurt leg was ready to take his weight. Jensen wondered why he felt a bit disappointed when the taller boy let go of him to retrieve the water pouch and refill it in the stream. He limped over to the shrubbery and looked at the plump, dark berries that covered it, but he wasn't all that keen on trying them out; so far, eating hadn't been a great experience. Maybe sticking to the simple dried meat and flatbread was better than adding even more unpleasant things to his diet.

"Go on, try one," Jared said when he walked up beside Jensen. 

"I don't know," Jensen said, reaching out to poke one of the berries.

To his surprise, it wasn’t dry at all but soft and glossy, and when Jared picked one and held it out, Jensen accepted it and pushed it between his lips. When he bit down, taste exploded in his mouth, sweet, sun-warmed juice that made him moan quietly; before he had even finished chewing, he was reaching for another one.

"This is amazing," he mumbled around the berries when he had stuffed three of them in his mouth. "I never wanna eat meat again."

  


Jared tried to not stare at the star, he really did, but it was hard when the boy kept making happy little noises as he pushed berry after berry between his plush lips, already stained by the juices. When Jensen licked his sticky fingers, Jared forced himself to turn his back and walk a few steps away before he started picking ripe berries for himself.

It had been mind-boggling enough to wake up with Jensen curled practically on top of him, the star's warm breath puffing hot against his skin, but then on the horse, the smaller boy had snuggled against Jared and Artura’s movement under them had left him no choice but to hold Jensen firm to keep him from falling off. Jared thought he could still smell the strangely fresh crispness of Jensen's hair from when the boy had leaned against his shoulder. Jared had no doubt about what his body wanted, how good it felt to have the star close to him, but he was also very sure that Jensen had no idea how their closeness was affecting him. 

With a sigh, Jared pushed the thought away and focused on filling his belly with warm berries as he struggled to ignore Jensen completely. It was hard when Jensen called out for him.

"Jared, do you mind helping me clean up some? I'm not sure I can..."

Jared was close to snapping at him, but then he turned around to find Jensen standing at a small slope leading down to the narrow stream. The boy was clearly trying to figure out how to get to the water without putting too much weight on his injured leg. 

"Oh, just a sec."

With a smile plastered on his lips, Jared jumped down the slope and washed his hands before he turned around and helped Jensen down, trying to ignore the way Jensen felt when he steadied him, or the small pulse of light that surrounded Jensen for just a second before he carefully knelt down beside the stream and started cleaning his sticky fingers and lips. Jared saw Artura move to the side of the shrubbery, grazing in a soft patch of grass, and decided to let the three of them rest for a while longer. He sat down, leaning towards the slope; Jensen sat beside him and rested his hand on his belly, patting it softly.

"I like berries," Jensen said happily. "Can we bring some with us?"

Jared was just about to answer when they heard other horses approach on the road; they fell silent and looked at each other. For a moment, Jared thought it was the witches, but then they heard male voices; Jared was just about to relax when the men’s words reached them and they both froze.

"How do you even know the star came this way?" a nasal voice rang out when the horses slowed down. 

"Do you _have_ to question me all the time, Borin?" a gruff voice answered. "It's the only thing that makes sense, and those three women we overheard at the inn this morning? I'm sure those were the witches, which means they’re still searching, too."

Jared turned to Jensen as the boy’s eyes widened with fear and he reached his slender hand out to grip Jared's. Without a thought, Jared pulled the smaller boy closer, trying to comfort him in silence while simultaneously looking over to make sure Artura wasn’t visible from the road.

"But we’ll find it, right?" the man called Borin asked, obvious glee in his voice. "We’ll find it and cut its heart out."

"Yes," the rougher voice said. "Just imagine the gold people will pay us for even a _piece_."

The horses picked up speed again and if the men spoke any more, neither of the boys heard, but Jensen was biting his lower lip hard. Jared wrapped both his arms around him in an attempt at comfort.

"I don't like this world," Jensen said, his voice muffled against Jared's shoulder.

The words stabbed at Jared, but he understood; despite their moments of relative peace, the boy was being hunted—apparently by several groups—and the change from his serene home in the sky to the chaotic human world must be terrifying. He needed to get Jensen safe, to put him back in the sky and return himself to the farm and his own life. But with Jensen wrapped tight in his arms, Jared couldn't really long for the farm; he wasn't even sure he would be welcomed back after stealing food and a horse.

"I don't think we can use the main road anymore," Jared said, helping Jensen to his feet.

Jensen looked pale, but he only nodded and let Jared help him the slope again, over to where Artura was waiting for them. After he helped Jensen up, Jared hesitated for a moment. 

"Wait here," he said, returning to the shrubbery.

He looked around and, at the slope, found big, soft Coltsfoot leaves; he picked them and quickly gathered more berries, wrapping them carefully in the leaves before he washed his hands and returned to the horse. Without a word, he put the wrapped berries in the pocket of his cloak before he flung himself up behind Jensen and tucked the boy close to his body. He didn't miss Jensen's mouth turning up ever so slightly. 

"There's a village down by Stormlake," Jared said. "It's connected to the sea by the Crystal River; if we're lucky, we can find a ship. I think that would be much safer."

"What about Artura?" Jensen asked.

"My stepfather knows people there. I’ll write him a letter and leave her with them."

Jensen hesitated, but then he nodded and leaned back against Jared. They were both silent as they turned away from the main road and down a small path.

~*~

The village was barely more than a cluster of houses where the river met the lake and Jared knew that quite a few of the people lining the main street were just passing through, travelers stopping to get some supplies aside from the dried meat and simple bread that they could travel with. Jared stopped Artura in front of a general store and helped Jensen down, preparing to go in search of his stepfather's friends.

"How's your leg?" he asked.

Jensen sighed and leaned against the horse’s side for a moment before he gingerly put some weight on his leg and winced slightly.

"Better," he said with a small smile. "Is your world always so...painful?"

"No, only for people who fall and hurt themselves," Jared said with a returning smile, wrapping his arm around Jensen's waist to help him keep weight off his leg.

Jensen looked like he was about to respond when they heard voices they both recognized all too well. 

"You heard what the old man said," one voice said from around the corner of the store. "If stars are always dressed in silver when they fall, he should be real easy to spot."

Jared cursed under his breath and moved to shield Jensen's smaller body from view, dragging the boy away from the bounty hunters.

"That's great and all, Sadon," the one called Borin said, "but there's still the part where we need to get to him before the witches do."

The two boys made it around the corner just in time, carefully looking back to see two men dressed in black leather walk out into the street. Jared felt Jensen shiver against his side when they saw the big knives hanging from the men's belts. 

"Damn," Jared muttered. He looked around; the small alley they were standing in was connected to a side street which led down to the waterfront. "C'mon, we need to get out of here, now!"

The silvery fabric of Jensen's soft clothes caught in the woodwork of the house they were leaning against, but neither of them noticed the threads left behind when they walked out onto the next street. Jared hoped they would be able to reach a ship before they were spotted by someone who would add one and one together to get _star_.

~*~

  


The three women stopped at the top of a hill overlooking a village and a lake.

"Do you think it's down there?" one of them asked.

"There's an easy way to find out," the leader of the small group said as she withdrew a handful of black runes from inside her purple cloak. "Is the star in the village of Ford?"

When she threw the runes high up into the air, sunlight glinted off of their lacquered surfaces before they landed in her outstretched hand, each one rune-side up.

"We're so close," one of them said. "Soon it will be ours; soon we will cut its heart out and savor it."

"Don't jump to conclusions, sister," the leader said. "We still need to make it glow once more, or at least try to. But better a small, frightened heart than no heart at all."

The smallest of the three women reached into the folds of her dark green cloak and gripped the handle of the knife there. She was sure the heart would taste wonderful.

  


"Oh, hell no," Sadon growled when he saw the three dark-clad figures coming down the hill toward the village. "The witches."

Borin turned his head and saw the women approaching; the two hunters turned to look at each other.

"If they’re here..." Borin started.

"Then so is the star," Sadon finished. They both looked at the houses surrounding them. "Somewhere..."

Behind them, the witches drew closer and closer; the men started walking down the street, searching for any trace of the missing star, but the witches had already entered the village by the time Sadon's gaze caught on something silver in a small alley leading away from the main street. 

"There!" he called out, moving into the dark.

The strands of silver thread were soft between his calloused fingers and the two men grinned wide.

"We're onto it," Sadon said as his hand fell to the hilt of his sharp dagger.

They stepped out onto a small side street and tried to figure out where the star could be heading; their gazes fell to several ships resting at the small dock.

"Let's get it."

  


Jensen kept looking back over his shoulder as Jared dragged him across the worn docks, scanning the ships for one that they could get on board.

"What are you gonna say to get us on a ship?" Jensen asked as he tried not to stumble over his own feet.

"Say? Jensen, this isn’t the time to try and talk about it. Look, that one over there seems about ready to leave; let's see if we can get on it!"

Jared pulled Jensen in behind a few crates and Jensen followed without protest, his gaze turned back towards the village as he waited for the hunters to spot them before they could get to safety. Their break came when the crew hoisting cargo walked down the docks to some further crates; the two boys didn't hesitate to move up the gangplank and Jensen abruptly found himself being dragged deep into the bowels of the ship.

"What if we get found?" Jensen whispered when Jared pulled them in behind stacks of crates and canvas bags.

"I don't care, as long as it happens when we're away from here," Jared answered. "Now be quiet."

Jensen opened his mouth to protest the order, but then they heard voices coming down the stairs and the scraping of heavy boots against the floor boards.

"Captain, where do you want these?" 

"Just put them in the corner; they’re the last items, so secure them all. We're leaving in five."

Five minutes. Jensen sure hoped they had five minutes; he pushed himself against Jared's side, seeking comfort in the warm press of Jared's body against his. When the men on the other side of the crates returned to the deck, Jensen crawled up to the porthole to peer out at the village they hoped to soon leave behind. 

"Jared..." he whimpered when he looked outside.

Jared was at his side in an instant; he hissed out a short breath when he saw the two hunters approaching the docks. 

"Oh no," Jared said, his mouth mere inches from Jensen's ear. The puff of his warm breath made Jensen shiver.

Jared seemed to interpret Jensen’s shiver as one of fear, because he wrapped his arm around Jensen and pulled him closer. Jensen didn't know why he had shivered; his body kept reacting in ways he would never have expected of himself, but he got lost in the feel of Jared at his side. He didn't think he would ever get tired of touching.

"I hope they search the other ships before... Oh my...no, no, no," Jared's voice drifted off into something scarily close to a whimper. 

"What... Who are they?" Jensen asked when he saw three cloaked figures appearing behind the hunters. The words were barely out of his mouth when it clicked into place in his mind and he gasped. "The witches."

They heard the crew preparing above their heads and Jensen wondered if any of them were even aware of what was about to happen on the docks. Once the five stalkers met, Jensen could hear every word that passed between them, but he didn't know if it was because their voices carried or because he was so used to watching and listening.

"Move aside, mortals," the witch who was obviously the leader said. 

"You’ve got no right to tell us what to do," Sadon answered. "The star belongs to whoever finds it first and cuts its heart out."

"You dare to stand between us and our prize?" one of the other witches said, venom dripping from her voice. "Who are you to challenge us? We are _queens_!"

Borin took a small step to the side, apparently hiding behind his bigger partner; Jensen could understand why. A promise of pain seemed to surround the witches and Jensen had to fight the urge to curl himself into Jared and bury his face against Jared's neck.

"And we are bounty hunters," Sadon said confidently. "That star will bring us a fortune!"

"No," the lead witch said, and even from a distance, Jensen could see her razor-sharp smile. "Because you can search all you want."

"What?" the two men asked.

The three women looked at each other and when they spoke, their voices rang out as one.

"You shall not see the star, touch it, smell it, or hear it! You will not perceive it even if it stands before you!"

At the last word, a small flash of green made the air between the five crackle and when it passed, the two men looked confused for a moment before they shook their heads and walked away dazedly.

"Sister, that won’t keep them away forever," the third witch said.

"I know, but we can deal with them later," the leader said. "Right now, we need to..."

Her words were drowned out by the creaking of wood as the ship started moving; Jensen watched the three women turn around and for a moment, he could have sworn that they were looking straight at him and Jared, but then the ship was in motion, cutting through the water, and then...

"Oh, my..." Jared trailed off.

The sound of water parting for wood was replaced with a soft swishing sound when the ship left the water altogether and lifted up into the air, long metallic sails unfolding from its sides. 

"What?" Jensen gasped. "We're on a Skyship!"

He had seen the Skyships from time to time, watching Earth far below, but nothing had prepared him to actually be on one. He inhaled sharply as the village grew smaller and smaller before it disappeared completely. 

All the tension Jensen hadn't even realized he had been carrying rushed out of him, replaced by relief as he sagged into Jared's side, grateful for the comforting arm that slid around his waist.

"They're far away now," Jared murmured into his hair. "Forget about them for awhile. We’ll get you to Stormkeep and then you'll get your candle. You'll be back in the skies in no time."

Jensen was sure the words were supposed to be comforting, but for some reason they weren't. The feel of Jared's arms around him was, though, and Jensen let himself be dragged back into their hiding place. They sat down with their backs against some crates, Jared's arms around Jensen's shoulders as he dug his free hand in his pocket and fished out a Coltsfoot leaf. Berry juice stained his fingers when he unfolded the small package and Jensen smiled softly as he reached out to take one of the berries. They finished them off in silence before relaxing into the press of each other's bodies and the star soon drifted off into sleep. It was daytime, after all.

~*~

When Jensen woke up, it was because he was being pulled from Jared's embrace; he cried out when the sudden motion made him put too much weight on his injured leg.

"Trespassers!" a voice rang out. The last remnants of sleep left him in an instant.

They were surrounded by a group of rough-looking men, all dressed in heavy brown fabric and dark leather and none of them looking happy to see the two boys. Jensen saw Jared trying to get to him, but the other boy was being held in place by two big men; Jensen himself was being held by two men, as well.

"What should we do with them?" a thin man asked.

"We’ll take them to Captain Wilde, of course," another man said. "He’ll know what to do with kids who sneak on board his ship!"

"No, please," Jared begged. "We had no choice!"

He was silenced by a big hand over his mouth and Jensen found himself being pushed forward as the men led them up the stairs. He was close to falling when the stairs forced him to put too much weight on his injured leg. All he wanted was to get to Jared—the other boy made him feel safe, but instead they were kept apart. Up on the deck, they were met by a man who must have been the ship’s captain.

"And what is this you bring me, Darren?"

Jensen shivered when the man’s clear blue eyes moved between him and Jared. The captain was taller than anyone else on deck and his gaze was completely unforgiving. His face was marred by a thin scar that stretched from his temple to the corner of his mouth; Jensen had to force himself not to stare, but he didn't know what else to do.

"We found these two trespassers in the cargo hold," the man called Darren answered. "I thought you might want to deal with them; I know how much you dislike vermin, my captain."

The man walked closer and Jensen recognized that despite the thin scar, he was good-looking, if not for the way he seemed to be considering throwing them both off the ship. Jensen really didn't want to take another fall to Earth.

"Please," he whispered.

"What was that?" Darren said, stepping towards him. "Did the captain tell you that you could speak?"

Jensen's eyes went wide and he bit down on his lower lip to keep from whimpering. It was all too much for him to deal with; the time after his fall had been nothing but pain and fear. And Jared. He looked over at the other boy; the captain followed his gaze and snapped at the man holding a hand over Jared's mouth.

"Let him speak!"

"God, don't you ever wash your hands?" Jared jeered, spitting a few times when the hand was removed, but then he went pale and turned towards the captain.

"Sir, I'm so sorry, but...we... I mean, Jensen and I..."

"I'm Wilde, the captain of this vessel," the man said. "And spit it out, you have thirty seconds before I throw the both of you over the railing."

When the crew groaned in protest, a little flare of hope rose inside Jensen, but the captain just laughed.

"Or maybe not; my men seem to want your death to be slow."

So much for hope.

"We had no choice," Jared said. "I'm sorry, but we had to get away."

"Why my ship?" Captain Wilde asked. "I don't like spies on my ship."

"We're not!" Jensen said, and when he realized that the men had let go of him, he moved towards Jared as quickly as his wounded leg allowed. The captain's gaze followed Jensen’s limp across the deck; he frowned and glanced over at his crew.

"Your time is running out," Captain Wilde pointed out.

"We're not spies," Jensen said, and when Jared held up his arm, he curled himself to the other boy’s side. "We were followed and we had to get away; we saw your ship preparing for takeoff and we had to try. Please, you have to believe me!"

"Boy, are you giving me an _order_?" the captain asked in a frighteningly soft tone.

"No?" Jensen whimpered. His eyes burned, moisture weighing down his lashes.

  


"Stop that!" Jared snapped, pulling Jensen closer and wrapping both his arms around the boy as Jensen hid his face against Jared's chest. "Stop scaring him, please."

The crew looked a bit stunned and none of them said a word when Jared lifted a hand to cradle the back of Jensen's head, his fingers tangling in the soft strands of hair.

"We just managed to get away from people who want to kill him, who want to cut his heart out," Jared said, wishing he could shield Jensen from the words. "Please, we'll do whatever you want, just...please..."

"Well aren't you two just..."

Captain Wilde's words were interrupted by Darren coughing pointedly.

"...the most annoying trespassers I’ve ever seen! We're not some charity ship here. Tell me, why should I even let you go on speaking?"

"I don't want to die, I just want to go home," Jensen whispered. "I wanna go back to watching. A star shouldn't be on the ground."

The boy froze in Jared’s arms when he realized what he had said and the entire crew tensed up, gazing between the two boys and the captain, who looked at them seriously.

"A star?" he said in an even tone. 

"No," Jared said too quickly. He bit down on his lip.

"Well, well," the captain said. "That would explain quite a lot."

"It...would?" Jared asked as Jensen turned around to look at the man.

"Of course. The silver clothes, for one. They are pretty, of course, but...they’re a dead giveaway for anyone in the know."

Jensen's mouth fell open and Jared put one hand under his chin, closing his mouth again as they both waited for the man to go on.

"Besides," Captain Wilde added as his face split into a grin. "You're too gorgeous to be human."

When Jensen's jaw dropped again, Jared did nothing to close it, his own mouth having fallen open as well. Darren sighed and shook his head.

"One day, someone will be on board this ship for longer than ten minutes before they realize you're a whoopsie."

"Technically speaking, they were on the ship for hours before you found them, so that day would be today," Wilde pointed out with a grin.

Jared looked back and forth between the two men, but nothing of what they were saying made any sense to him, and from the blank expression on Jensen's face, he felt the same. Then the captain clapped his hands together and turned back towards the boys. 

"So, how can we help you?"

"Uh..." Jared said.

"What?" Jensen added.

"Oh, come now, of _course_ we’ll help you," Captain Wilde said, the crew nodding their agreement. 

"But...why? You were planning on throwing us overboard, and..."

Captain Wilde looked a bit ashamed and shrugged, but it was Darren who stepped up and spoke.

"Our captain has a reputation to keep up," he said. "Not that he always does good work with it, but...people do call him the Wilde Beast, so I guess we're doing something right.”

The captain looked awfully proud of that.

"But...why do you want to help us now?" Jared asked.

"Because I know who this boy is you're holding in your arms," the captain said.

Jared realized then that he was still holding onto Jensen and took a step back, quick enough for Jensen to stumble when the loss of support put weight on his hurt leg. Jared mentally kicked himself before he stepped back in and put his arm back around Jensen's waist. 

"You know me?" Jensen asked, frowning.

"Stars don't fall often, and we’ve missed you in the sky, Polaris," Darren said.

Jensen blushed and Jared couldn't help feeling a bit proud, tightening his grip around the boy and pulling him slightly closer. 

"You’ve helped us find our way more times than we can count," the captain said. "It's time for us to return the favor. But first, I think we need to find the both of you something better to wear."

Jared looked down at their clothing; his own simple work clothes were dirty and torn, and Jensen's previously glossy silver clothing had been torn and stained with blackberry juice where the star had obviously wiped his fingers against his thighs before he’d had a chance to clean up. 

"Oh, no, it's not..."

"You don't really need to..."

"Darlings, I really do," the captain silenced them before he ushered them to his own quarters. The rest of the crew just sighed and laughed before they got back to the business of making the ship fly above the clouds.

~*~

"It’ll only take us a day or two to reach Stormkeep," Wilde said as he held a glass filled with deep red liquid out to Jensen.

Jared sat on a low, padded bench and inhaled the rich fragrance of his own wine. The sip he had tried had already told him that it was unlike anything he had ever tasted back on the farm.

"So soon?" Jensen asked, sitting down close to Jared despite the bench leaving them plenty of room. "Are we moving that fast? I thought it would take a week or more on horseback."

"Yes, but Polaris, my ship is faster than any horse."

Jared forced a small smile at that while he tried to not notice how Jensen looked in his soft blue tunic and black pants tucked into black leather boots. If Jensen had looked gorgeous in the loose-fitting clothes he had been wearing when he fell, it was nothing compared to these clothes that emphasized his fair skin and revealed a body that Jared knew the feel of all too well. It was all Jared could do to remind himself that he was helping Jensen get home, that in a few days the star would be back in the skies and Jared would be returning to the small family farm to one day find a girl to marry and run his own farm with. The thought didn't sound as appealing as it had a week earlier. 

"I'm... Please call me Jensen," Jensen said with a shy smile.

"Jensen it is," Wilde agreed with a nod. "And you two look exhausted! Finish your wine and I’ll find you beds to sleep in."

Jared nodded, the stress of the last two days combined with a full belly and the rich wine making his eyelids heavy. Beside him, Jensen was already starting to nod off; the star was still new to eating, after all, so Jared shouldn't have been surprised that half a glass of wine had done him in. 

"Oh, thank you," Jared said. He didn't want to think about why he didn't like the idea of Jensen sleeping anywhere that wasn't pressed up against Jared's side.

  


"We lost it?" the youngest witch snapped. "It was in that village and we _lost_ it?"

"It's airborne," the leader said as she stroked her fingers over the runes in her hand. "It must have been on that ship that took off while we dealt with those dimwitted bounty hunters."

The oldest sister was not happy; she knew well that it was near impossible to track the star while it was on a Skyship.

"If it got help, it might be trying to return to the skies," the middle sister said peevishly. 

"No, that can't happen," the youngest snarled. "It took us decades to gather the items to pull a star from the skies; we might never get them all together again."

"There's only one way for it to get back," the leader said with a vicious grin. "It needs a Babylon candle, and there's only one place to find one of those."

"It's heading to the queen," the middle sister said, catching on. 

"We’ll just have to get there first," the leader said. The three immediately set into motion.

The three women had magic on their side, and they were sure they would be able to get to Stormkeep before the star. All they had to do then was wait for it to come to them.

  


"That one there, you see..." Jensen pointed up at the night sky above. "I think you call it The Hunter."

Jensen didn't know why he had started with those stars in particular, but he thought it would be easier to start further away from the empty spot that was his home.

"You see those three bright stars? They make up his belt."

"I see them," Jared said.

"They’re brothers," Jensen said with a fond smile. "Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. They used to mock my fascination with the human world. That means they probably aren't watching, so you can stop worrying."

"I wasn't," Jared insisted, and Jensen laughed. "Fine... I kinda was..."

Jensen knew the other boy had been tossing embarrassed glances towards the glimmering stars above and he hoped to calm him; he didn't bother telling Jared that all of the stars were probably looking at the Earth since Jensen's fall. He had no doubts that his family was watching out for him in every possible way. 

"Over there is..." Jensen’s throat went dry when he turned his gaze to the spot where his closest family was shining down on them.

"Little Bear," Jared finished. Jensen was grateful when Jared reached out to tangle their fingers together.

"Yildun," Jensen said as he looked to where his sister was. "She's my little sister and honestly? She can be super annoying. But we're close. I love my brothers, but Yil is special."

"Sisters usually are," Jared agreed.

The ship was unusually quiet and Jensen was thankful for it; the crew was keeping away from where he and Jared lay close together and the moment felt strangely intimate, almost like Jensen was introducing Jared to his family. He didn't know when something changed, shifted, but he was suddenly aware of Jared watching him and not the stars Jensen was pointing out. When he rolled over on his side, he realized how close they were, and when Jared's hand landed on his hip, Jensen inhaled sharply.

"Jen," Jared whispered.

Sparks shot through Jensen's body from where Jared’s hand was resting and Jensen knew it wasn't just the sensation of touch; being on the ship, quite a few of the crew had already touched him, and their hands on his shoulder, steadying arms around his waist when his leg acted up, meant nothing. Each small touch from Jared, though, felt better than sunlight, better than starlight. 

"Jared," Jensen answered, barely loud enough to be heard.

But of course Jared heard; they were already exchanging breaths, and at the sound of his name, Jared pulled Jensen in even closer. Jensen found himself melting into Jared's embrace for a moment before the boy’s warm mouth covered his.

Nothing had prepared Jensen for the feeling of being kissed. He had thought his first sip of clear water had been good; the taste of blackberries had been wonderful, and the fullness of wine on his tongue had been amazing, but it all melted away at the feeling of Jared's lips on his. Jensen's lips parted on a silent moan and when Jared's tongue traced the line of his bottom lip, Jensen clung to Jared, one hand on his shoulder and the other buried in the soft strands of his brown hair. 

"God...Jensen..." Jared murmured, pulling away enough to look down at him.

When Jensen looked up into his eyes, he thought he could see his own awe mirrored in them, but before he could say anything about it, Jared pushed him over onto his back and slotted their bodies and lips together. The new angle made it even better; in the chilly night air, Jared's body was a furnace against Jensen's, and he happily wrapped his arms around Jared's neck to hold the taller boy closer when their tongues tangled together. Jensen wanted to taste Jared, licking eagerly into his mouth; it was more intoxicating than the wine had been, sweeter than the berries and more refreshing than the water. 

A loud rattling from the other end of the ship broke through the atmosphere and Jared pulled away, leaving Jensen shivering when his body was replaced by the crisp night air. Jensen didn't know what to say; he had only ever watched human interactions from afar, and even then, he had looked away when he thought things were about to go too far. He knew when people wanted their privacy, after all. But it meant that he was unsure of what should happen after a kiss that left him breathless; fortunately, it seemed that Jared knew what he was doing.

"Come," he said, standing and helping Jensen to his feet.

Jared's arm around his waist was comfortable, already a familiar thing, and Jensen wrapped himself around Jared the same way he had that first night in the forest even as the contact suddenly meant so much more. Halfway across the deck, Jared stopped and pushed Jensen up against the main mast to press soft kisses to his lips before they stumbled towards stairs. Just before they ducked into the opening, Captain Wilde appeared, smiling wide at the sight of the two boys tangled around each other.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said. "You know what, take my quarters tonight, I'll make sure no one disturbs you. We make port quickly in the morning, and we should be in Stormkeep tomorrow afternoon."

Jensen ducked his head, but not before catching a glimpse of the deep blush staining Jared's cheeks; with a quiet 'thank you,' they went down to the captain's room, Wilde's chuckle following them.

"I don't..." Jensen started.

"We don't need to do anything," Jared said quickly. "I just want to..."

He didn't finish, but the sweet kiss they shared was better than any words; Jensen pushed into it as heat unfurled in his belly. It was true that he didn't know much about the interactions between humans, but with Jared's lips on his and Jared's hands on his hips, there was no doubt in Jensen's mind as to what he wanted.

"I’ve never done anything like this," Jensen said. "I don't know how..."

"I don't know either," Jared admitted, pressing kisses down Jensen's jawline.

"But I want to," Jensen breathed.

Jared pulled back and when Jensen looked up into his hazel eyes, he found them dark with the same heat that had settled in Jensen's body. A second later, the star found himself on his back on the bed with Jared crouching over him, one big hand finding its way under Jensen's tunic to splay over his belly. The kisses that had been heated, desperate at first, turned slow and languid and Jensen found himself being undressed with care that made him shiver and left him feeling revered. Jared pressed soft kisses against the skin he revealed when he pushed Jensen's tunic off, letting it fall to the floor and swiping his tongue over Jensen's nipples. The star arched into his touch and gasped for air.

"Jared, what are you... Oh, that's..." he whimpered when Jared's lip sealed over his nipple and he grazed it with his teeth. 

Sensations coursed through Jensen's body and he was barely aware of Jared's fingers working the drawstring of his pants; when Jared tugged at them, Jensen lifted his hips enough for Jared to pull them off. Jared sat up then and looked down at Jensen's naked form, and Jensen saw want, and lust, and something warm and soft in his eyes. 

His own fingers fumbled when he lifted his hands to undress Jared, and his cheeks burned hot as he slowly stripped Jared naked and let his gaze travel over suntanned skin stretched over his lean muscles. The sight made Jensen's mouth turn dry and he surged forward to reclaim the wet heat of Jared's mouth; they fell on the bed in a tangle of limbs, their mouths pressed together and Jared's hands stroking down Jensen's back until they came to rest over the globes of his ass, pulling him even closer. A half-choked cry left him when his bare skin pressed up against Jared's and he felt the hot, hard line of Jared's cock against his own. 

Pleasure climbed higher and higher when Jared rolled his hips; Jensen felt moisture on his skin, clear liquid, the slickness changing the friction and making him moan in pleasure. It was so much, too much, and at the same time, nowhere near enough; Jensen found himself craving something he couldn't even put name to. 

"Jared, I need..." Jensen pleaded. 

He didn't know if Jared understood _what_ he needed, but he groaned 'yes' into Jensen's mouth.

"Are you sure?" Jared asked as he sat up, looking down at Jensen with one of his big hands curled around the base of Jensen’s cock. 

Jensen wasn't really sure about anything but the need for Jared to never stop touching him, and when Jared stroked him, he didn't try to hold back his whimpers. 

"Yes," he moaned. "Anything. Everything. Just...yes..."

  


The pleading tone sent shivers down Jared's spine and his grip around Jensen's cock tightened, his long fingers sliding up over the head and gathering the pre-come there before moving back down, each slide slicker than the last.

"Jared..."

Jared's own cock was rock hard, twitching eagerly as a keening sound left Jensen's lips; Jensen's body was riveting and Jared’s gaze was locked on the thin sheen of sweat that made his skin shine in the flickering light, the way his cock looked as it slid between his fingers. 

"You look amazing," Jared murmured as he pressed his thumb against the vein on the underside of Jensen's cock.

At the touch, the star's hips snapped up, and when his breathing turned hard and ragged, Jared took pride in the effect he had on the smaller boy. That his own body was reacting as strongly as Jensen's without his even touching himself just made everything that much better. The other boy seemed beyond talking; the only sounds spilling from his kiss-swollen lips were low whimpers and moans as Jared let his hard cock slip in and out of his fist. 

Jared moved to lie down beside Jensen, his hand still working the boy's cock; he had never expected himself to be so turned on by touching Jensen’s naked body, but he couldn't deny the lust that was boiling in his veins. He moved his hand further down, easing his grip and instead trailing his fingers further down to stroke the soft skin of Jensen's sac.

"Jared, I need...please...more. I _need_."

Each pleading word made Jared even harder, and he leaned in to press his lips to Jensen’s, swallowing each one as his own hips rocked forward, his hard cock pushing against Jensen's. He heard Jensen's breath hitch at the contact and let his fingers slide away, resting his hand on the boy's hip instead.

"No, you can't... Don't stop," Jensen whimpered. 

"Oh, don't worry, we're just getting started." Jared smiled and pulled the boy closer, rolling him over onto his side until they were face to face. "I want to feel you."

He punctuated the statement with a roll of his hips, causing their erections to brush and making them both moan. Kissing Jensen again, he moved to align them so that their cocks were pressed together, each movement from either of them pulling gasps and moans from their lips. Jensen clung to Jared, his hands sliding up over his chest and softly brushing over his nipples before Jensen locked his arms around Jared's neck and arched into him, his hips straining forward for the extra stimulation the boy was clearly craving. 

With a low groan, Jared pulled his lips from Jensen's; the other boy whimpered and angled to chase Jared's mouth, but instead Jared tilted Jensen's head up and to the side so that he could press open-mouthed kisses down his jaw and the tender skin of his neck. Jared buried his hand in Jensen's soft hair and held the boy still, his other hand sliding down his back until he reached the smooth curve of his ass. He pressed the boy closer, muffling a moan against his neck when Jensen slung his leg over Jared's hip in an attempt to bring their bodies even closer. Despite how good Jensen felt pressed up against him, it wasn't what Jared wanted; he pushed Jensen onto his back and continued trailing kisses down from the his neck, over his freckled skin until he could lock his lips around an already-hard nipple. 

Jensen gasped and arched his back, his body craving the touch; Jared had to hold the boy still while he licked and sucked at the little nub until Jensen was trembling under his lips. Jared was fascinated by how responsive the smaller boy was to each touch of his fingers and mouth against his hot skin. Jared put his hand on Jensen's belly, amazed at how big it seemed, his fingers spreading wide on the freckled skin as he moved down further. His hands came to rest on the boy's hips, keeping Jensen still while Jared kept trailing kisses down his smooth skin.

"I love tasting you," he said, running his tongue down over Jensen's ribs.

"I didn't know...touching could be... _this_ ," Jensen groaned.

Jared smiled and dipped his tongue into the star's belly button, tracing it before he slipped further down and kissed the curve of his hips. He stopped and looked up at Jensen, meeting his bright green gaze that sparkled even in the dim light. Jared swallowed thickly at the obvious proof of the boy’s being far from human; he thought it should scare him, but he knew what he wanted. He leaned down further and, without taking his gaze off Jensen's face, reached his tongue out to touch the tip of the boy's cock.

"Oh my," Jensen gasped, his hips straining against Jared's grip.

Flavor burst across Jared's tongue, inciting his craving for more, and with only a moment’s hesitation, he licked again, sealing his lips tight over the head and sucking softly. Beneath him, Jensen's whole body melted into the mattress and his hands dug deep into the sheets.

"Jared, so good," Jensen groaned. "Your mouth... God...please..."

Jared carefully slid the hard length deeper into his mouth, moaning at the weight on his tongue and the unfamiliar stretch of his lips as one of Jensen's hands came up to bury itself in Jared's hair and push him down further. Jared gagged at the sudden intrusion and Jensen immediately let go of his head.

"Sorry!” he cried. “So, so sorry..."

Jared pulled off and gasped for air, but he smiled up at Jensen and wrapped his fingers around the base of his length before he leaned in again and sucked the head back between his lips, working his hand around what he couldn't swallow. Jensen was reduced to whimpers and moans and Jared kept working him; while having Jensen in his mouth was a new sensation to him, the fact that each little touch was completely new to Jensen made it all even better, and when the boy under him tensed up and his moans turned into a needy whine, Jared didn't pull away. Instead, he sealed his mouth firmly around the cock there and pressed his tongue against the vein on the underside, hoping it was as sensitive on Jensen at it was on himself. 

He was rewarded with a sharp cry as his mouth abruptly filled with thick, salty come. Jared couldn't stop himself from pulling back and coughing out most of it, but some slid down his throat, leaving a sticky taste on his tongue. His hand kept working Jensen through the orgasm until the boy's hand came up and weakly pushed Jared away. 

"Wow," Jared panted, surprised at the rough tone of his voice. 

"Uh huh," Jensen breathed, smiling when Jared stretched out beside him.

Jared's own cock was rock hard and leaking pre-come, and he was just about to reach down and take care of himself when Jensen shifted on the bed and slid one slender hand down Jared's chest, his green gaze following the path of muscles.

"I...um... Can I?" Jensen asked.

"God, yes," Jared answered on a shaky exhale.

Jensen seemed hesitant as he wrapped his hand around him, but Jared didn't care because it was _Jensen_ touching him, and the shy fumbling was so much better than his own hand had ever been. Jensen started stroking him carefully, but when Jared moaned his pleasure, the smaller boy smiled confidently and his strokes turned more firm. Jared knew he wouldn't last long at all, not with how turned on he was from seeing Jensen fall apart under him, and when Jensen pushed up and pressed their lips together, licking away the remnants of his own release from Jared's mouth, Jared came harder then he ever had before, shooting all over Jensen's fingers and both their bodies. 

Jensen swallowed his moans, licking them out of his mouth as he continued to stroke Jared until he whimpered. Jensen pulled away slightly, the look on his face one of mingled surprise and satisfaction as he observed his come-drenched fingers. 

Deep inside, Jared knew they should clean up, not to mention talk about what had just happened, but he pushed the thought aside and stroked his hands over Jensen's skin, fitting their bodies together and ignoring the come and sweat drying on their skin. They kept kissing softly until they fell asleep, tangled up together in the middle of the big bed.

  


"Did we check the docks?" Borin asked.

"Of course we did," Sadon snapped. "Don't you remember?"

Neither of the men said anything more about the docks, but Sadon couldn't ignore a nagging feeling inside of him; he _wasn't_ sure they had checked the docks, but they must have. He remembered walking down the road to the village, at least, but then his mind strayed away from the idea. It was weird, and Sadon didn't do weird. 

"There's a Skyship heading towards Stormkeep," he said instead. "I think we should board it; if the star wants help or anything along those lines, it must be heading there. Only place civilized enough."

Borin nodded and they went down towards the docks; he was struck by a strange feeling of déjà vu when he saw the ships down there, but Sadon apparently wasn’t, instead gaining them access to the Skyship. 

"We're heading straight for Stormkeep, no stops," the gruff captain said. "You better do your fair share of work on board. We leave in ten."

The two men stood at the railing and watched the village below disappear as the ship rose above the clouds; Sadon sat down to sharpen his knife. He wanted it to be perfect for when they caught up with the star.

~*~

  


Jensen opened his eyes and took in his unfamiliar surroundings, and the already familiar presence of Jared right next to him; for a few long minutes, he lay there smiling, but then the memories hit him. He gasped softly when he realized he was still naked from the night before, and that Jared was equally naked and practically wrapped around him. Jensen was stuck between panic about what had happened and the feeling of how _right_ it was to wake up in Jared's arms. He carefully untangled himself and some of his worry dissipated at the disappointed grunt Jared made in his sleep.

While he cleaned himself up, his emotions fought a raging battle; the urge to return to the bed and fit himself against Jared's body was very strong, but at the same time, he was deeply embarrassed at the thought that any of his family might have been watching. His family to whom he would soon return if he could only convince the queen to help him get back into the sky. The sky, where everything was calm darkness, sparkling starlight, and warm sunshine. Where there was no food, no touching. No Jared. 

He stepped back into the small room and looked at the boy spread out on the bed, the thin sheet tangled around his waist; Jensen stood watching him for a long time, letting the fight rage on inside of him. Ultimately, he stepped up to the edge of the bed and reached out to run his hand through Jared's hair, letting it drift down over Jared's neck and the well-defined muscles of his chest. He sobbed quietly.

"I don't know if I can leave you."

The words rang out loud in the otherwise silent room, and Jensen sank down on the bed to fit his body to the other boy’s side. Jared slept on, but even unconscious, he wrapped his arms around Jensen; despite all the thought whirling inside his mind, Jared's embrace was soothing enough that Jensen soon drifted off himself, his lips pressed again Jared's chest.

~*~

It was clear that they were at port when Jensen woke up for a second time, the smells and sounds from the docks reaching into the small room; he blinked his eyes open and met Jared's hazel gaze just a few inches away.

"I see you're awake," Jared said. "Wilde was knocking earlier; we’ve been at port longer than I think they expected. We should be taking off soon, though."

"Okay," Jensen mumbled sleepily. He was about to say something else, but Jared's hand slipped down to slide over the curve of his ass and Jensen's words died on his tongue.

"I don't see a reason to leave this bed just yet," Jared said before he pressed their lips together. 

Jensen figured that talking could wait. Instead, he put his arms around Jared's neck and slid his tongue between the taller boy's lips, moaning into his mouth when Jared reached between them and wrapped his long fingers around both their growing erections. Jensen gasped and went fully hard when Jared started stroking them, their pre-come mixing and slicking the way. The pleasure built inside him and made his worries drift away; all that mattered was Jared pressed close to him, pulling them both closer to the edge with each stroke.

~*~

"I'm sorry for the delay at the port," Captain Wilde said that evening. "Assuming we don’t run into any bad weather, we’ll be in Stormkeep in the morning, and the skies seem calm for now."

Jensen nodded and sank down beside Jared on the deck, their backs against the railing. He wondered what Jared would do if he reached out and tangled their fingers together; instead, he settled for pressing their arms and legs together as they watched the crew lounging around, Darren and another crew member practicing sword fighting in the middle of the deck while the others cheered them on. 

"That's good," Jared said. Jensen looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Thank you so much for all your help; I'm not sure what we would’ve done without you and your crew."

"Anything for Polaris," Wilde said with a small smile. 

Jared lifted his arm and draped it around Jensen's shoulder; the star smiled softly and leaned his head against the other boy's shoulder as the sun slowly set.

"Huh," Jared said. Jensen looked up at him. 

"What?" Jensen asked, his eyebrow raised.

"It's just...sometimes you're kinda...shining. Like this pulsating glow. I've never seen it when you're awake before."

Surprised, Jensen looked down at his body and he realized that he was emitting a faint glow; it was just a shadow of his real starshine, but it was enough to make him smile. He had never expected to shine while on Earth.

"I'm a star,” he said with a smile. “What is it stars do best?"

"Attract trouble? Jared asked with a teasing grin. 

"Maybe, but we do it while we shine," he said, ignoring Jared’s low chuckle at his choice of words.

The crew had begun drifting away to their sleeping quarters, and Jared stood up as well. Jensen suddenly realized that they would be sleeping apart that night; Captain Wilde wouldn't give them his room again. Jared seemed to realize it as well as he stroked his hand through Jensen's hair.

"I know it's nighttime, but go get some sleep," he said softly. "In a few hours, we’ll be in Stormkeep, and you can talk to the queen, and then you’ll be back in the skies where you belong in no time."

He left with those parting words and Jensen found himself alone, watching Jared disappear downstairs. Tears burned in his eyes and he knew that his glow was gone.

"You don't seem happy."

Jensen jumped, turning around to find Captain Wilde leaning against the railing, half hidden in shadows. 

"I should be, shouldn't I?" Jensen said with a sigh. 

The captain walked over and stretched out beside Jensen on the deck, and for a few long minutes, they sat in silence and watched the stars as the stars watched back.

"All I wanted was to return to my spot up there," Jensen said. "I would be dead already if it wasn't for him, but he helped me. And that's what it’s all been about for him, to get me back there."

"When did it stop being about that for you?"

"I don't know," Jensen said. "But...he's expecting me to leave tomorrow. And...that's what I’ll do."

"You could ask him if he wants you to stay," Wilde said.

"And do what, hide from bounty hunters and witches for the rest of his life? He deserves better than that." Jensen got up off the floor. "Thank you for everything. I promise to lead you right once I'm back where I belong."

He turned around and walked downstairs to try and get some sleep, but he doubted he would manage much without Jared's arms around him.

~*~

Jensen stood silently and watched Jared sleep, amazed that the boy hadn’t woken up during the landing even though it made things easier. At least he wouldn't have to say goodbye. He turned around and walked up to the deck only to stumble upon Captain Wilde, who gazed on him sadly.

"I still think you should talk with him," the captain said. “At least say goodbye."

Jensen shook his head and looked backwards—just a quick glance—but no Jared came to stop him. 

"No, this is for the best. He’ll go back to his life and I'll..." Jensen swallowed and looked up towards the clear blue sky. "Will you tell him thanks from me? Please?"

"Yes, I will. And I sent a messenger earlier. The queen will be expecting you."

"Thank you," Jensen said with a small, shaky smile before he turned and walked off the ship.

He stopped for a second when his feet met solid ground, but then he straightened his back and kept walking up the long and winding street that led to the castle. Each step felt like his feet were made of lead, but he forced himself to keep on walking; the only thing that kept him going was the thought that this was what was best for Jared. Finally, he stood in front of the doors to the castle. 

"Can we help you?"

Jensen jumped at the words; he hadn't been aware of the guards bracketing the wide gates and as their firm gazes fixed on him, Jensen took a small step backwards.

"I'm...here to see the queen. Captain Wilde sent me."

"Are you Jensen?" one of the guards asked.

Jensen nodded and, to his surprise, found himself being guided inside without any further questions, two guards flanking him through marble halls and green gardens.

"Your Royal Highness, Skycaptain Wilde's guest is here," one of the guards announced as they emerged into a small, circular garden. 

A beautiful woman stood up from a small bench and smiled at Jensen before dismissing the guards. Jensen swallowed heavily when the dark-haired queen lifted up a small wooden box and motioned for Jensen to sit down.

"Welcome, Polaris," she said with a smile, sitting down next to him.

"You know who I am," Jensen said quietly.

"Yes," the queen said simply. 

She handed the box over without another word and Jensen took it, looking at her questioningly. When she nodded, he opened it and looked down to find a small black candle lying on a bed of red velvet.

"A Babylon candle," he said, his voice thick with emotion. 

"Yes," she said again. "But I need to ask you something. Polaris, dear, are you sure you're making the right decision?"

Jensen lifted his hand and ran a finger down the length of the candle, the one thing he had been hoping to find ever since he had fallen from his place in the sky and landed in the woods beyond a small farm in the corner of Stormhold.

"I'm not what he needs," Jensen said quietly. 

"You could be," the queen said just as quietly. "You could give up your immortality and stay here."

Jensen's eyes slid shut and a small sob escaped him at the thought of returning to Jared, of letting the tall boy wrap his arms around him, Jared's smell filling his senses. But then he thought of Jared telling him he belonged back in the sky and Jensen shook his head. 

"No, I'll..." He trembled a bit and swallowed before he went on. "Thank you, but I will take the candle. I...don't belong here."

The queen sighed, but with a small nod, she stood up and rested one slender hand on Jensen's shoulder, squeezing it softly. 

"I will leave you to it, Polaris. But I think you're making the wrong choice."

She left and Jensen sat alone in the small garden with the wooden box clutched hard in his hands, trying to calm his breathing as tears slid down his face at the thought of the boy he was leaving behind. But at least he would be able to watch Jared from the sky, to see him be happy with someone else. 

Jensen never heard the duo approaching him before something dark was thrown over his head; the next second, he felt blinding pain before he passed out.

  


"We need to hurry," the eldest of the three sisters said. "If the sorceress they call Queen gives it a Babylon candle..."

The three women wove between the pillars of the castle in their hunt for the star, stopping occasionally to ask the runes for directions; they all knew they were close, the presence of the star drawing them like a magnet.

"He's there," a rough voice said from around the corner. The three women froze and looked at each other. "You heard her talking to him; he must be sitting on that bench."

"But we can't see him? Why can't we see him?" another voice answered.

"The hunters?" the middle sister hissed. "How did they find it?"

"They must have realized the same thing we did: That the star's only chance to get back would be a Babylon candle, and the sorceress would be his best shot."

"They can't hear it, but if they heard someone talking to it?"

The three sisters moved around the corner just in time to see the two men throw something over the star and a second later, one of them hit it with the hilt of his long dagger; the star, a young boy, collapsed to the ground.

"I see you've found our star," the eldest sister said, stepping out of the shadow as she lifted her hand. Clenching her fist, she made both the men collapse in agony. "You shouldn't have done that, but I think we could use two human slaves. After all, we will live for a very long time. Now, move!"

She forced the two men to stumble forward while her sisters gathered the star, and they all made their way out of the castle.

  


"Get up, boy, get up _now_!"

Jared blinked blearily a few times before Captain Wilde’s face swam into focus above him. His forehead creased into a frown.

"What... I was...'sleep," Jared grumbled. 

"Sleep, you can do later. Right now, you need to get moving," Wilde snarled. 

Jared sat up and pushed his blanket down, stretching away his residual stiffness and tossing a gaze towards Jensen's cot. Jensen's empty cot. 

"Where's Jensen?" he asked.

"Good, we're on topic," Wilde said. "Jensen left."

"What?" Jared shouted, stumbling out of the bed. "Why? Where is he?"

Captain Wilde sighed and stood up, running his hand through his hair. He looked away from Jared for a few seconds before turning back to meet his gaze again.

"Jensen left to see the queen. To get a Babylon candle to..."

"Return to his home," Jared finished. For a second, it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath his feet.

Memories of the few days that had passed since he and Jensen had met flooded his mind; all the emotions he had seen on the star's face and felt inside himself, from fear to ecstasy and everything in between, and despite their limited time together, he knew one thing for sure: he did not want to be without Jensen.

"No, no, no, I have to stop him. He can't go back... Why would he leave?"

"Because he thinks that's what you want," Wilde said with a sigh. "That boy would give you the moon and the stars...or return to them, if he thought it was what was best for you."

"I’ve got to stop him," Jared said, moving towards the stairs leading outside without a second thought.

"Well, it's good to know at least one of you’s got brains," Wilde said, following him out. "I have a horse waiting for you, and here’s a note for the queen; hopefully it will allow you to avoid any problems with the guards."

Jared thanked the captain, but he was already running towards where Darren was waiting, holding the horse’s reigns out to him. Jared flung himself up on its back and was off without any real thought as to what he would do once he reached the other boy. He only had one goal in mind: Stop him!

~*~

The queen met him in her throne room. Jared tried not to read too much into her sad expression.

"Where is he?"

"I left him in the garden," she answered softly. "I tried to persuade him to stay here, on Earth, but he was determined to leave, so I gave him a candle."

"But...he can't leave me,” Jared cried, tears burning his eyes. "I need him!"

"Then you..." The queen stopped talking and went scarily pale. “Oh no, they... No!"

She was moving faster than Jared could have expected, her dark blue dress flowing behind her, and Jared had no choice but to follow, running through the gleaming white corridors of the castle.

"What happened?" Jared called out.

"I don't know, I didn't feel them. I'm so sorry," she said, motioning for two guards that they passed to follow them. "I thought he was safe here, in my castle, but they got him."

Jared’s blood ran cold at her words and he almost stumbled into a small, circular garden where the queen finally stopped, leaning over a low bench to pick up a polished wooden box. When she opened it, Jared saw the black candle still nestled inside. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel relief that Jensen hadn't lit it, at least, but then he was struck by the harsh realization that Jensen was in the hands of the very people Jared had tried to protect him from. At least in the sky, Jensen would have been safe.

"No,” Jared said fervently, looking up at the queen. “I need to find him, how can I find him?"

"This is not the work of simple people; I can feel the echo of magic here," she said. "But there is only one group of witches I can think of that would be able to get inside my protected castle. Boy, I don't think you can handle them by yourself. And I can't enter their territory; the black magic keeps me at bay."

Anger flooded Jared, his vision turning red as he straightened himself up.

"Your Majesty," he snarled with venom that had both guards reaching for their weapons.

"No, let him speak," the queen said as she motioned for them to stand down. 

"They want to _kill_ him," Jared screamed. "I can't just...wait for help or anything. I can't let them hurt him, I have to help him. If you can't help me..."

"I can!" she promised. "But I’ll need a few hours.”

"Jensen doesn't have a few hours!"

"Jensen?" the queen asked, puzzled.

"The star, it's his name. He said that's what his family calls him."

To his surprise, the queen smiled wide at that; she reached for something hidden within the folds of her beautiful dress.

"A star has no human name," she said. "Except for Polaris, it seems. He doesn't belong up there; he belongs here on Earth, with you. Take this—it's all the protection I can offer right now, but it's strong. Find him; let him know how you feel about him."

Jared looked down at the small glass flower in his hand, a perfect snowdrop of brilliant white and glossy green. He looked back up at the queen in surprise.

"Keep it on you and it will shield you from their magic,” she said. “Be careful; they can still hurt you, but not with magic." Then she was in motion again; Jared trailed after her, listening as she explained where he was supposed to go.

"Hurry, Jared," she said when he flung himself back up on the horse. "And when you find him, tell him to do what he does best."

Jared frowned at that, not understanding what she meant, but the queen's hand landed hard on the horse's flank and he found himself in motion, leaning forward in the saddle as the horse ran out of the castle. He was barely aware of all the people moving out of his way as he went to save Jensen.

~*~

The trees around him were dead, skeletal fingers reaching towards the grey sky, but Jared knew it was a good sign; it mean that he was getting closer to one of the witches’ homes. He pressed his hand to his breast and felt the small flower nestled in the inner pocket of his tunic, the hard glass fragile under his fingertips.

Jared slowed down some, not wanting the thundering of his horse's hooves to alert anyone to his presence; when he saw a house through the trees, he slid off the horse altogether and tied it to a tree before moving forward. Fear churned deep in his belly and only the thought of Jensen kept him going; rather, the thought of being without Jensen if he messed anything up. 

He didn't really know what he had expected—a small, rundown cottage, maybe, or some dark castle hidden within the decrepit forest, but instead, he found a mansion. That was the only word he could think of to describe the two-story building in front of him, and it would have been gorgeous and inviting if not for its composition of glossy black stone, the dead flowers lining the path to the door, and the dead vines still clinging to the walls. 

With one last glance back to his horse, he started moving amongst the dead trees, carefully edging up to the black building, and when he got closer, he heard voices; none of them belonged to Jensen, and a cold knot settled hard in his belly as he got close enough to peek through a tall window. The sight turned his blood to ice even as it made something inside him soar: Jensen was tied with black leather straps to something that looked too much like an altar for Jared's taste, but to his great relief, Jensen was alive, even fighting against the restraints.

"Stay still," a tall, black-clad figure said; when she turned around, Jared felt like cowering away from the hideous woman, her skin blotchy grey and her eyes dull and black. 

The interior of the room was nothing like Jared would have expected. Instead of being sectioned or divided, the entire bottom floor of the building appeared to be one vast space, the altar resting upon an elevated platform in the middle. He scanned the rest of the space and saw the other two witches sharpening two big knives, the sound of the grindstone reaching Jared all the way outside; he knew very well what those knives would be used for. What surprised him was the two bounty hunters moving sluggishly around the room, both of them with glazed looks in their eyes. 

He had no idea what he would do to help Jensen; after all, he was all alone against five opponents, and even if the witches couldn't use their magic against him, he was still only one person. One farm boy who had stumbled upon a fallen star. Then he spotted something in a corner of the vast room that made hope swell inside of him; it wasn't much, but it might be enough to cause a distraction big enough to give him the upper hand. He moved quietly along the wall until he reached the window closest to his goal and felt a surge of relief when he saw that the window stood slightly ajar; apparently _something_ was on his side, at least. He pushed it open further, silently praying that it wasn't old or rusty enough to cause a ruckus; the hinges seemed well-oiled, though, as it opened without a sound. Jared carefully hoisted himself through it and landed inside on soft feet, partially hidden from view behind several massive cages.

  


The eldest of the three sisters stood watching the star, secured to the black marble altar at the center of the room. None of them had expected it to be a boy; all fallen stars they had heard of had been girls, but there was no doubt that the boy in front of her was the one they had been looking for.

"Such a waste of time to try and hide from us," she said, dragging her black dagger over the dark blue fabric of his shirt enough to cut through it without hurting his pale skin beneath. "We took you from the sky, and you tried to hide from us?"

The boy squirmed weakly against his restraints, but he seemed to understand that all his struggles were for naught; the witch smiled down at him, enjoying the heaviness of her old skin with the knowledge that it would soon be gone. 

"I’d like to make your heart shine again, but I suppose that can’t be done; glow or no glow, I will cut it from your chest, hold it in my hands as it beats for the last time."

"No," the star whimpered. "Please don't... I don't want—I just want..."

"What do you want, star?" the witch asked, running her knife over the tender skin of his neck.

"I want to see Jared again," the boy sobbed as his green eyes drifted shut. 

The witch looked back at her younger sisters, but they were both too busy preparing the knives for the ritual to listen to the discussion; it didn't matter. It wasn't like the star would be seeing anyone before they started the ritual that would give them back their youth.

"Now, it's time to..."

The witch was interrupted by a loud clanging sound, and when she turned around, she saw the doors to the animal cages open as the big grey wolves that had been locked inside came out, closely followed by the sleek panthers from the other cage. Yellow cat eyes zeroed in on two witches on the floor while the wolves focused on the two bounty hunters whose slow movements would offer little challenge for the animals. The animals who were clearly angry about having been locked up for so long, and about having seen their friends and family carried away and slaughtered for the witches’ rituals. 

"No!" the witch called out in warning to her sisters.

She still hadn't figured out how the animals had gotten out when a human shape joined their graceful movements.

"Jared!" the star gasped, unaware of the fact that his skin was glowing once more.

  


Jensen couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Jared move amongst the animals down on the floor; he held no sword, but a sharp dagger was clutched in each of his hands and with the animals ready to use their claws and teeth, Jensen doubted Jared would even need to use them.

Jared was there. Despite his being tied to the altar, despite the woman standing above him with a knife in her hand, Jensen smiled at the sight of the other boy. It must mean _something_ , at least, even if it didn't mean what Jensen was hoping for. 

His happy smile slid away when the first of the big wolves leaped through the air to land with its front paws on Borin's chest, pushing the man to the floor. The bounty hunter reached for his sword, but the spell the witches had put on him had dulled his reflexes; sharp claws were digging into his body before he could do much harm to the animal above him. A choked scream left the man's lips as he finally managed to lift his sword, but another wolf bore down on him, its strong jaws closing around his arm; even with the man's scream, Jensen could hear the crunching of bone and the clatter of the sword when it fell. He closed his eyes, but the screams still reached him—until they were drowned out by the snarling of the wolves, and the last he heard from the doomed man was a gurgling sound that he elected not to think about. 

"Stop him!"

Jensen's eyes snapped open when the witch towering over him called out and he started pulling at his restraints again, barely aware of the wolves attacking the second bounty hunter; Sadon had his sword in hand, the witches’ hold on him having lessened in the confusion that ensued as he fought against the animals. But Jensen only truly had eyes for Jared; he screamed when he saw the youngest sister lift her hand and throw a wave of fire at the other boy.

"No! Jared!” Jensen screamed. “Let me go, no, no, don't hurt him!" He tore at the leather until blood trickled down his wrists. 

Flames engulfed Jared's form, but when the witch laughed and let them die down, she and Jensen both fell silent and still at the sight of Jared standing there unharmed with no trace of the fire on his body; the witch stumbled backwards as Jared moved forward, the panthers slinking around him with their golden eyes locked on her. A feral hiss echoed around the room before one of the cats moved, its fur glimmering almost blue in the light from the overhead chandeliers before the big animal was on the witch; Jensen was sure she would die then and there, but instead the fire returned, causing the big animal to leap back. 

"My sisters aren't so easy to kill," the witch standing beside Jensen said with a hard laugh. 

Jensen turned his head to look at her and his eyes went wide at the sight of another of the panthers standing right behind her; his face must have given it away because the witch spun around and saw the cat just in time to move aside, its big paw slicing through the air and its claws barely managing to cut into her arm. It was enough to make the woman's face contort into a furious expression, a green glow surrounding her as all her focus shifted from Jensen to the cat. 

A scene unfolded before his eyes that he could barely believe: The tallest witch shot bolts of bright green lightning towards the big cat who danced away from it with a low snarl, its tail slicing back and forth through the air. It took Jensen awhile to realize that the cat was slowly leading the witch away from him and its reason was clear when suddenly Jared was by his side, one hand clamping down over Jensen's mouth to prevent the happy outburst that nearly slipped out.

"Hush," Jared mumbled. His dagger sliced through some of the leather pinning Jensen to the altar. "If I remove my hand, can you promise to not scream?"

Jensen nodded as much as Jared's hand allowed him and the tall boy smiled shakily before he let go to focus on cutting through more of the leather. 

"You came for me," Jensen whispered, his tone awed.

"Of course I did," Jared whispered back. "I couldn't let them hurt you, of course not."

Jensen smiled and when he looked down at his body, he blushed slightly; he was emitting a low, pulsating glow that he was unable to contain. With the last of the restraints off, Jared turned and helped Jensen sit up; the motion brought their faces close enough for Jensen to feel Jared's breath against his lips and both boys stilled, looking into each other’s eyes. Jensen felt the tension between them sizzling in the air, but before he had a chance to say or do anything, Jared was in motion; Jensen found himself dragged away from the altar as Jared put himself between Jensen and the witch.

"What are you..." Jensen started, but before he could finish, he got his answer. 

Green fire erupted around them and Jensen couldn't hold back a small, scared whimper, pushing close to Jared, who carefully wrapped both arms around him.

"Let him go, human child," the witch called out.

The fire died down and Jensen dared to look around Jared to see that the middle sister had joined the eldest, the two of them standing side by side with their blackened gazes locked on the boys. 

"No," Jared answered. "I won’t."

His declaration was interrupted by a yowl from another part of the room; they all turned to look as Sadon pulled his sword out of the shivering body of one of the big wolves, the blade dripping dark blood on the floor. The rest of the pack stood still, staring at the man with eyes glowing with hatred; it seemed that the fall of their companion had only made them more bloodthirsty, and the sword waving through the air did little to keep them at bay as they cornered the man. 

Their focus on Sadon was broken when the third witch spoke out and Jensen realized that their lapse in focus had cost them—the witches were spread out around them and there was no way Jared would be able to protect him from spells from all three of them. Jensen didn't even know how Jared had managed to protect him that first time. 

"Just give him up," one of the witches said. "It wouldn't matter to you. Either he's in the sky, or he's dead; he won’t be with you. What difference does it make, little human child?"

"I don't want him to leave," Jared said, looking down at Jensen’s flustered gaping. "I don't want you to go back; I want you to stay with me."

Jensen stared at the taller boy in disbelief, hope and joy bubbling up inside of him despite the situation they were in. 

"You...want me?" he whispered.

"Of course I do," Jared said, his arms around Jensen's waist tightening. "I just didn't know how to ask you to stay. To ask you to give up your home for me... I'm just a farm boy."

"You're no farm boy," Jensen said. "You live and work on a farm, but you're no farm boy. You're everything."

He let his joy break free and heard the witches mutter to each other as the glow pulsated around him with each breath he took. He would give anything to be with Jared; giving up the sky was not a high price to pay by comparison, but it would only be an option if they could get away from the witches.

"The Queen," Jared said softly. "She said I should tell you to do what you do best."

Jensen frowned for a moment, but then he understood and looked around at the three witches moving closer to them, sharp daggers glinting. He wrapped his arms around Jared's neck.

"Close your eyes," he said.

"What?"

"Close your eyes, and I’ll do what stars do best," Jensen said, the glow around his body already growing stronger. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wolves turn from their prey to look towards the pulsating light; Jensen hoped they would have the sense to look away. The witches raised their daggers and Jensen knew he only had seconds to spare; he let all his emotions soar through him, melting the human aspect of himself.

"I love you," he whispered against Jared's neck.

The light exploded, flowing out from him and engulfing the entire room in the brightness of a star's shine. He buried his face against Jared, didn't want to see what the light was doing even as he heard it in the witches’ gasps; they all screamed as one before the cry was cut short with a ripping sound, and for one moment, the air around them was filled with a sour, burning stench before his shine filled it with the smell of night skies and bright light.

Slowly, he pulled the light back into himself until only a low pulsating glow was left; he looked up to meet Jared's gaze as the boy stared at him in wonder.

"Why didn't you do that before?" Jared asked breathlessly.

"No star can shine with a broken heart," Jensen answered simply.

Jared's smile was brilliant and Jensen didn't know which of them moved, but suddenly their lips met; Jensen’s glow was surrounding them both as Jared kissed him and held him tight. They didn't pull apart until the doors to the house opened up and they jumped back, fear bursting their happy bubble, but when they saw the woman in the doorway, they both smiled.

"Your Majesty," Jared said. "I thought you couldn't enter here?"

"I couldn't when the witches were alive," the Queen answered as she walked towards them, her guards entering the building behind her. "But now they’re gone."

She looked kindly at them for a moment before she stopped and turned her head toward the corner of the room.

"Stop that!" she ordered.

Jensen followed her eye line to the wolves frozen in place by the command, the surviving bounty hunter slumped to the floor with one hand over his face. For a moment, Jensen thought he was dead, but then he saw the small movements of too-fast breathing.

"You've done your part, thank you," the Queen said. The wolves seemed to understand her words, turning around and disappearing out the door.

The guards quickly gathered the shivering man up and Jensen met his terrified eyes, but then the man was dragged outside.

"He won’t hurt you again," the Queen said calmly. "No one will, no matter what you choose."

Jared went still, his hand twitching like he was fighting the urge to move, and Jensen knew that it was time to choose. He also knew that he already had; without hesitation, he moved back to Jared and reached out to lace their fingers together.

"I'm staying," he said softly, melting into Jared's embrace when the other boy wrapped his arms around Jensen, holding him tight.

  


"Are you sure about this, Polaris?" the Queen asked. "Once it’s done, there's no going back; there are no refunds on this kind of magic."

She looked at the two young men standing in front of her, their hands tangled together the same way they had been since they had left the witches’ mansion, like they both needed the constant contact to ground themselves, to know that it was real.

"I'm very sure," the star said, just as she had known he would.

With a smile, the Queen put away the slender wooden box with the Babylon candle inside and reached for a goblet balanced on the armrest of her shining white throne. The liquid inside was silvery, its glow almost matching the one that surrounded the young star, a light that grew stronger each time he looked at the boy at his side. She handed the goblet over to the star, who reluctantly let go of Jared's hand to close both hands around it and look at the liquid inside.

"This will...turn me human?" he asked quietly.

"Yes it will, and then you’ll be safe; no one will ever want to hunt you again. But..." The Queen hesitated, but the star needed to know everything. "You will grow old, Polaris. And one day...you will die."

"I know," the boy said. "But...the bounty hunters and other witches..."

"They won’t ever come for you again," she promised. "Once you're human, they won’t know what you were before. Only Sadon would know, and he... Let's just say that his mind couldn't quite handle the magic and his fight with the wolves. He will never be a problem for you again."

The star smiled then and the glow around him flared strong enough to almost blind the humans in the room; he glanced up towards the night sky, visible through the glass dome arcing high above them. 

"I'm sorry I won’t return," he said. "Please, know that I'm happy here, and I hope you’ll check in from time to time."

Above them, several stars pulsed more brightly than before for just a few seconds; the star smiled and nodded before lifting the goblet to his lips. He turned to look at Jared and drained the contents quickly, silver liquid making his lips shimmer for a moment before his glow started to fade away. A hushed silence fell over the room as, before their very eyes, the fallen star turned human; with one last pulse, the glow disappeared.

"Welcome home, Polaris," the Queen said with a soft smile.

"My name is Jensen," the boy answered.

Jensen handed the goblet back to the Queen and moved into Jared's waiting arms; no glow was needed for the gathered crowd to see how happy he was when Jared pulled him into his embrace and slotted their lips together in a sweet kiss.

_There are good people in the world. And then there are those who are not so good. But sometimes, good things happen to the good people, and they get their happily ever after._


End file.
